Friday, March 15, 2019

Back for the 6th year, South-east Asia's premiere gaming convention will be back at Suntec Convention Halls 401 to 403 on 12 & 13 October 2019.

Last year's show had attendees excited for the high-stakes e-sports competitions including the SEA Major (SEAM), game releases as well as meet and greet sessions with special guests Elise Zhang, voice of Mei from Overwatch, as well as wrestler and celebrity gamer Kenny Omega.

The convention is set for even more exciting gaming and pop-culture events and activities in its next edition, so keep your eyes on Gamestart Asia's social media sites, as well as here on Red Dot Diva!

Sunday, October 14, 2018

With over 40 million players worldwide, Blizzard's RPG first-shooter game Overwatch remains an international smash-hit even 2 years after its release. One of most favourite game characters is Mei, the adorkable Chinese climatologist with (literally!) very cool abilities.

Shanghai-based voice actor Elise Zhang, is as adorable as her alter ego. She is here in Red Dot Island as a guest at South-East Asia's premiere gaming convention, Gamestart Asia 2018.

At the interview session with a small group of eager press folks, the perky voice actor would twirl her long hair, and she would make animated hand expressions as she spoke about Mei, her involvement with Overwatch and the ardent fanbase. Her positive energy was infectious. It was like seeing Mei alive in 3D, but without the Endothermic Blaster, of course.

Red Dot Diva: How did you start working on voice acting, and how did you get the role of Mei in Overwatch?Elise:I studied chemical technology in college and I got my Masters degree in that. I didn't learn how to act or voice act. I was obsessed about voice acting since I was 12 or 13 years old, so when I was in college, I searched for some training courses on that. I took the course and my mentor thought I had some potential and gave me a lot of opportunities. So, after I got my Masters degree in chemical technology, I became a voice actor.For Overwatch, that's all about audition. My company works with Blizzard a lot - World of Warcraft and Heart of Stone and Heroes of Storm - and I've been in all of those games. So, they said to me - we need a voice actor who can speak English and Mandarin, and you have a Masters degree, you must know how to speak English, so come to the audition. There were 5 or 6 girls at the audition, and I got the part! I am so lucky, because Blizzard made a character just like. If they made a different kind of girl character, I might not have gotten it.

Friday, October 12, 2018

This weekend's Gamestart Asia 2018, South East Asia's premiere gaming convention, will be levelling up on a few areas.

There is an increased focus on industry related events with the launch of its Masterclasses on game art and design held in the last couple of days, which were led by experts Jacqueline Jocson and Carlo Arellano. During the convention itself, Gamestart Asia will also be holding workshops relating to building your own retro arcade machine and creating fun animations. These sessions are provided in collaboration with video production company, No Average Joe.

In addition, the arena of e-sports remains the major highlight, with the SEA Major 2018 hosting tournaments for 10 games, where international professional e-sports athletes will be competing for a prize pool of USD 50,000. Fans can get to watch their e-sports heroes in action, like Japan's Daigo Umehara, top female Tekken 7 player Tokido, home boy Ho Kun Xian and reknown multi-game champion Justin Wong.

Founder's Base will be back as well. This is where you can find the cutest, wierdest, quirkiest indie games built by local developers. Visit the area, try out the games there and vote for your favourite game at the Indie Awards. You will stand a chance to win a Wacom Intuos S BT tablet!!

Tabletop gamers will be happy to know that they are tons of opportunities to play their favourite games or try new ones. There are also cool prizes for grabs at The Gauntlet, where fans can show off their skills in a variety of games.

In addition, fans can shop at the the Doujin Market, and admire the awesome costumes at the Cosplay Runway. There is so many exciting things happening on both days, but if you are a casual gamer and are more interested in pop-culture/ entertainment, here is Red Dot Diva's pick of the Top 5 Cool Things to Look Out For at Gamestart Asia!

1. Meet Elise Zhang - Voice of Overwatch's Mei

The lovable voice actor from China will be at the convention meeting fans of the immensely popular game Overwatch during these times at the Gamestart Booth:

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Missing your favourite gaming convention in South-East Asia? Then, get ready to gather your friends together for Gamestart Asia! The show is returning to Suntec City Convention Halls 401, 402 and 403 on 13 and 14 October 2018.

Just announced by the organizers today, Red Dot Diva is delighted to spread the word that The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia will be exhibition at the convention for the first time! Look out for more news on how their involvement will be at this year's show.

This piece of news is going to get Overwatch fans excited. Chinese talent Elise Zhang, voice of Mei in both English and Mandarin versions of the game, will be a guest Gamestart Asia! She also voiced Symmetra in the Mandarin version of Overwatch. Other voice work she has done includes "Power Puff Girls", "We Bare Bears" and "Lego NEXO KNIGHTS".

The other usual content that Gamestart Asia is well known for, will also be featured at the show. These include tabletop gaming, previews of games, e-sports, indie and retro games, as well as cosplay! Check out some of the highlights below: